Brenda’s Review of the Kona Cafe

I recently dined for breakfast at the Kona Cafe inside Disney’s Polynesian Resort. It was my first time to experience breakfast there, even though I have heard for years how great the Tonga Toast is. This being a trip of “firsts” we felt it was time we tried this guest favorite. We were very pleased we chose to do so.

We arrived at the registration desk and were seated right away. The restaurant was very clean with an open concept and the atmosphere was very welcoming. There was tropical music playing and a pancake syrup aroma. The music was relaxing and we could also hear the waterfall in the lobby.

Our waitress, Pat, was hilarious! We didn’t order the special “pressed at your table” Kona coffee; we just ordered the regular brew. She teased us for buying Kroger brand coffee at home. She brought our pot of coffee to our table. We asked for Sweet N Low as you won’t find it on your table. Splenda and Equal are provided but they do have it so you just need to ask for it if that is your sweetener of choice.

My husband ordered the Big Kahuna and I ordered the Tonga Toast. Soon my husband’s platter of delicious condiments arrived: maple syrup, macadamia nut butter, and ketchup.

The Big Kahuna breakfast consisted of french toast, pancakes with pineapple, eggs, bacon, sausage, ham and potatoes.

The french toast was delicious! For the pineapple lover, the pancakes with chunks of pineapple were a sweet breakfast treat. The eggs were scrambled perfectly and there was a buttery flavor to the eggs – yum! The bacon, sausage and ham are all good and the home fried, seasoned wedge-style potatoes were all very good as well.

The Tonga Toast was delicious! This is a Disney fan favorite and I can certainly taste why. They make it with two slices of sourdough bread, put 1/2 of a banana (sliced) inside, then freeze it so it holds together. Then, they dip it in egg wash and deep fry it. After all that, they dip the whole thing into cinnamon sugar. It is DELICIOUS!

The Tonga Toast was served with a strawberry compote which is made with strawberries and sour cream. I immediately poured it all over the top.

I have never had anything even resembling this flavor before. The strawberry compote was the perfect accompaniment to this dish. The bacon was good as well, but was just regular bacon. The star of this plate was definitely the Tonga Toast.

We really enjoyed our breakfast at the Kona Cafe. Both breakfast dishes were delicious and the ambience was great as well. But just as Walt says, it is the people that make the difference, and we must give super kudos to Pat who entertained us throughout our entire meal. We will definitely be back!

Brenda writes here and at Ideally Disney. She’s also an Authorized Disney Travel Specialist with Pixie Vacations. She loves helping families plan magical Disney vacations, so email her at Brenda@PixieVacations.com or send her a message on www.facebook.com/thepixiebrenda.